The petroleum industry is increasingly turning to heavy crudes, resids, coals and tar sands as sources for feedstocks. Feedstocks derived from these heavy materials contain more sulfur and nitrogen than feedstocks derived from more conventional crude oils, requiring a considerable amount of upgrading in order to obtain usable products therefrom. The upgrading or refining is accomplished by hydrotreating processes, i.e., treating with hydrogen of various hydrocarbon fractions, or whole heavy feeds, or feedstocks, in the presence of hydrotreating catalysts to effect conversion of at least a portion of the feeds, or feedstocks to lower molecular weight hydrocarbons, or to effect the removal of unwanted components, or compounds, or their conversion to innocuous or less undesirable compounds.
Sulfides of “d” block metal elements of the Periodic Table, have been used in the liquefaction of carbonaceous material, such as coal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,983 discloses the use of an activated zinc sulfide catalyst in the form of a zinc sulfide of a reagent quality or a beneficiated ore. Iron-containing compounds such as pyrites (FeS2) and red mud (Fe2O3) have been disclosed as catalysts for coal hydrogenation and liquefaction processes.
There is a need for improved catalysts with optimum morphology, structure and improved catalytic activity for high yield conversions. There is also a need for an improved process to prepare bulk catalysts for use in the conversion of heavy oils and residua. The invention relates to a novel bulk catalyst based on sulfide(s) of “d” block metals for use in the conversion of heavy oils and residua.